Let’s discuss some common misunderstandings about GaN.

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Let’s discuss some common misunderstandings about GaN. [Copy link]

I recently saw an article by Qorvo introducing several major misunderstandings about GaN, which made me feel deeply moved.

First of all, the issue that everyone considers is the cost. In the engineering community, people believe that GaN is too expensive.

However, don’t forget that GaN can reduce the total cost of the entire system because a smaller package can be used to meet the power requirements. Smaller packages not only reduce board size and cost, but also save a lot of heat sink costs. Multi-band and wideband GaN amplifiers can replace multiple independent narrowband amplifiers in the system, further reducing the total cost of the system. This is not to say that it is completely suitable for all applications, but from a cost-performance perspective, GaN can generally save costs.

Second, each supplier’s GaN device performance varies, and suppliers often offer different solutions to meet their unique PA needs. Embedded designers should not assume that their past experience with GaN will apply to all suppliers. Close collaboration with suppliers ensures that each unique GaN PA is fully utilized.

Another thing is that embedded designers see high gate currents in the datasheets of GaN PAs and get concerned. They think that high gate currents will cause device failure. In fact, high gate currents do not necessarily mean reliability issues. Reliability is very technology-dependent, which goes back to the previous discussion - not all GaN is created equal. By simply adjusting the bias circuit to accommodate higher currents, system power efficiency and power density can be significantly improved.

Do you have this misunderstanding when designing? Let's talk about it together.